The U.S. military has seized a very large crude carrier oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, according to President Donald Trump.
Trump described the vessel as “the largest one ever seized.” He stated that the tanker had been sanctioned by the United States for multiple years due to its involvement in an illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations.
The president warned Venezuelan government leaders that he would take action against narco-terrorists smuggling harmful drugs from Venezuela into the U.S. These actions, he said, have manifested in military strikes against alleged drug vessels in the Caribbean.
Sources stated that the tanker is referred to as a VLCC (very large crude carrier) and can carry up to 2 million barrels of oil.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed the seizure in a social media statement, noting that “the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and the United States Coast Guard, with support from the Department of War, executed a seizure warrant for a crude oil tanker used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran.”
Bondi added that the vessel has been sanctioned by the U.S. for years due to its role in an illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations. She stated that “this seizure, completed off the coast of Venezuela, was conducted safely and securely — and our investigation alongside the Department of Homeland Security to prevent the transport of sanctioned oil continues.”
Bondi shared video footage from the operation.
Democrats have accused the administration of committing war crimes in strikes on alleged drug-runners. In one incident, two survivors of a strike on a boat were killed by a second strike, which many have described as illegal.
Additionally, President Trump stated during an interview that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s days were numbered. The Trump administration has also offered a $50 million reward for the arrest of Maduro.
